- Stars with a name
- Ross 686
Ross 686
Ross 686 is a red star, in the constellation Hydra. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1946.
Where to find it
From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it is best seen in the evening sky in January, February, March, and April.
Very faint: you’ll need a telescope. Apparent magnitude 12.68.
What it’s like
It gives off about 0.40% of the Sun’s light.
Its surface is at about 3,800 degrees.
It is 80.0 light years away: 757 trillion kilometres.
It is the star of people born around 1946: the light that left it then is reaching Earth now.